Crossing the Bridge

Feast of the Birth of John the Baptist
Today’s Readings: [Click here]

At this weekend’s liturgies, we celebrate the Feast of the Birth of John the Baptist. John gets special recognition, because he is the bridge between the Old Testament and the New. You might call him the last of the Old Testament prophets, pointing the way to the coming Messiah.

By its very definition, a bridge connects two solid land masses by crossing over some kind of gap. It could be water, it could be an abyss… or perhaps some other dangerous or difficult space. And sometimes, bridges are scary to cross!

I was out hiking in Ohio with Greg last year, and of course Maggie was along. There was a place on the trail where we had to cross a rocky stream, and they had built a wooden foot bridge across it. You had to climb up 10 or 12 steps, cross over the bridge, then climb down the same way on the other side. Maggie refused to go, and there was no way she could swim across. Greg and I had to literally cover her eyes and carry her across!

I think this makes an interesting metaphor, because many people found John the Baptist to be a bridge they couldn’t bring themselves to cross. The Jews of the day, even though many had lost their real connection with God, found the way pointed out by John to be too hard or too strange to accept. I guess we shouldn’t be all that surprised. All the prophets experienced the same thing. People get comfortable in the place where they are—even dreadful places—and it isn’t easy to move them along.

When John Paul was pope, one of his favorite and most often repeated sayings was “Don’t be afraid!” He said it all the time, reminding us how much God loves all his children and looks out for them. The Lord is always trying to persuade us to come closer to him, but in our fear, we hold back or shy away. I think one of the greatest gifts of faith we can receive is the ability to overcome this fear in our life.

I am in awe of John the Baptist. Not because of his fashion sense or his gourmet diet. Not even because of his courage to pipe up and speak the truth regardless of the fact that it eventually cost him his head.

No, I’m in awe of him because he was 100% authentic. He knew who he was. He knew what his mission was. And he was passionate and fearless about living it. I want to live the same way.

If you think about the people who you most admire—not necessarily the saints but people in the world—this sense of authenticity is a common denominator. Quite often, these are people who come across as bigger than life. They’re audacious and even driven. They’re on a mission, and they’re bound and determined to accomplish it. And hopefully the ones we truly admire are also good and kind and loving people.

We “regular” folks, unfortunately, aren’t always like that. We may be filled with fears and uncertainties. Should I do this? Should I do that? What if I fail? What if someone doesn’t like it and they wind up hating me or laughing at me? What if I choose A, and B would have been better? In the end, it’s easy to wind up being paralyzed and doing nothing.

In other words, it’s easy to get stuck on one side of the bridge.

It may have to do with a relationship or a job or getting involved in some activity that we’d like to do. Or, it may have to do with growing in our faith so we’re willing to step outside our comfort zone to further the kingdom of God.

Fear not: John the Baptist can be our saint and our model.

Like Jesus himself, John the Baptist’s youth is unknown to us. All the Bible tells us is that after his birth, he “grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel” (Lk 1: 80).

How do you become strong in spirit? You become a person of prayer. A person of humility and patience and peace. A person who spends desert time—in other words, quiet and private time—with the Lord and is willing to trust him. A person who continues to beg and pester God for the answers, the opportunities, the shining moments of grace and revelation to show us our special path. And each time we get an answer or a bit of light—and act on it—we become stronger in spirit and are propelled further along.

On this feast day, it would be good to ask for John the Baptist’s intercession in our prayer. We pray for some of the same spirit that he had—some of his kind of vision and bravery and passion. We pray for authenticity in our life. And above all, we pray for his unwavering love for God.

St. John, pray for us: that we, too, may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

Don’t Be Cautious, Don’t Be Prudent

The 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s Readings: [Click here]

One of my favorite advice columnists, Amy Dickinson, writes for the Chicago Tribune. Her column is called “Dear Amy.” This past week, someone wrote in and said that one of her parents’ closest friends is a police officer. She continued, “Unfortunately, he was present when I made a mistake about 10 years ago. This incident did not involve me going to jail, nor was it an incident that might have landed me in jail. However, as a result, I do feel a sense of shame whenever I see this person. I feel that he dislikes me because of this.”

Amy replied that part of growing up and becoming an adult is admitting your mistakes, and that includes putting up with the shame that goes along with those mistakes. She advised the young woman to talk to the policeman friend and say, “Look, every time I see you, I’m reminded of my actions and I want you to know that I’m still embarrassed and ashamed.” She added that the gentlemanly response from him would then be, “Forget it. It’s ancient history. You’ve turned out well and that’s the most important thing.”

When I read this week’s gospel, I thought about the person who wrote that letter. Here was this sinful woman, apparently well known in her town. Clearly, she has repented of her past life and is ashamed. With great faith and courage and humility, she ministers so tenderly to Our Lord. She uses her tears to bathe his feet and she dries them with her hair, then covers them with kisses and anoints them with ointment. Pause for a moment to picture this touching and humble scene.

Jesus, of course, is moved with compassionate love and mercy. He tells her, “Your sins are forgiven… your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Meanwhile, the Pharisee—Jesus’ dinner host that night—was scandalized! He didn’t make the gentlemanly reply that Dear Amy suggested. Far from it! Instead, he had insulting and demeaning words for both Our Lord and the woman—two put-downs in one sentence: “Surely, if this Jesus were truly a prophet, he would know just what sort of person this woman is… that she is nothing but a terrible sinner.”

Well, there you have it: the main difference between God and man.

God is willing to let us be sorry for our mistakes. He will forgive us for them and, for all intents and purposes, tear that page out of our personal history. Forgiven and forgotten.

But we human beings aren’t usually so generous. Why? Several reasons.

For one, we’re suspicious: can a leopard really change his spots? Doubtful! In other words, once a sinner, always a sinner.

For another, we’re jealous: if a person does the crime, he’s got to do the time. It isn’t fair that God would wipe the slate clean just like that. I certainly wouldn’t!

And third, we’re afraid: how do I know that this person won’t come back and take advantage of me again? I’ve got to protect myself!

So in our suspicion, jealousy and fear, we become stingy in receiving and giving the love of God. At the same time, unfortunately, we demonstrate that we lack the very faith in Jesus Christ that St. Paul writes about today.

Because Jesus was God, he certainly had an advantage over us mortals in that he could read hearts. He could look into the heart of the woman in the gospel and know that she had atoned and turned away from her sins. So in that respect, maybe it wasn’t so hard for him to forgive her.

We don’t have that kind of ability, however. All we’ve got to work with is a person’s external behavior and the words they speak. We have no way to know what’s going on in the depth of another person’s soul.

So you might think that the proper response to this uncertainty would be caution and prudence.

But for the Christian of faith, Jesus says: No! It’s the exact opposite. Don’t be cautious. Don’t be prudent. Don’t be suspicious or jealous or scared. Just be generous to forgive. And be quick about it, too.

When Peter and Jesus had a conversation about forgiveness, Our Lord made it clear that we have to forgive not once, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Isn’t that the height of mercy and generosity—to let someone off the hook again and again, without the assurance that they have reformed to our standards.

Think about it. Our world desperately needs our witness as Christian people who are quick to forgive, and cheerful about it, too. If you’re like me, you probably read or watch the news and just shake your head at how much anguish is caused by people being judgmental, small-minded, hateful and stingy with their compassion. Let us vow not to be like that—not anymore.

Lord, teach me to be better at forgiving. Stir my heart with your loving grace, and make it swell with mercy and compassion. Amen.

Turning Your World Upside Down

The Feast of the Body & Blood of Christ
Today’s Readings: [Click here]

I’m very excited because one of my favorite cooking reality shows just began a new season: Hell’s Kitchen. If you’ve seen it, you know how the head chef, Gordon Ramsay, gives the contestants a baptism by fire week after week. As dreadful as he makes things for the chefs, by the time the winner has survived the ordeal, he or she actually has become quite accomplished and is ready to take on the culinary world and running their own restaurant.

Many top chefs dream of making it big with their own restaurant… and sometimes they’re even willing to think way outside the box and attempt something quite novel.

That was exactly the case a few years ago when a small group of restaurateurs decided to experiment with a new restaurant idea in Paris. It turned out to be so successful, that they’ve now opened a second place in London. They named their restaurant “Dans le Noir,” which means “In the Dark.” Their concept was this: when you arrive, you are led into the dining room—which is absolutely pitch black. All the waiters are blind or visually impaired, so while the patrons are having a most unusual sensory experience eating food they can’t see and groping around gingerly for cutlery and glasses and the butter dish, the staff is doing great, because they have the confidence and expertise that sighted people lack. Truly, it is a world turned upside down.

In many ways, this is like the kingdom of God. The strong are made weak, and the vulnerable are made strong. The values that dominate our usual world—success, wealth, power, health, celebrity—count for nothing there. But for those who surrender their lives to the Lord, the experiences and rewards will be breathtaking.

Today we are privileged to celebrate the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ… the feast of the Holy Eucharist. Incredibly—or perhaps not so incredibly if we really knew the mind and heart of the Lord!—Christ gives us himself as our food, as spiritual food. And the more worthily and the more often we eat his flesh and drink his blood, the more we shall become like him… the more we shall live in a world turned upside down: the world of the kingdom of God.

When I was a kid, I used to love to watch Popeye cartoons on TV. It inspired me how Popeye could always get out of any kind of bind by gobbling down a can of spinach. That food had supernatural power!

I also was fascinated when I read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. If you drank the liquid in a bottle marked “Drink Me,” you would shrink. If you ate the cake marked “Eat Me,” you’d grow very large. Wouldn’t that be handy sometimes—to get into a rabbit hole like Alice, or to be tall enough to go on one of the cool rides at the fair…? Again, the power of food and drink!

Literature is abounding with examples of magical powers found in things we can eat or drink: Willy Wonka had wallpaper you could lick and truly taste the foods pictured… Harry Potter and his friends had their Bertie Botts Beans that came in every flavor imaginable… and Malvina Reynolds wrote a wonderful song called “Magical Food” that promised things like: “Take a bite of carrot / You’ll become a parrot” …

Alas, that’s all fiction. All the soggy canned spinach in the world isn’t going to give you super powers.

But amazingly, the promise of food and drink that turns you into God is absolutely real! That’s why it is not an exaggeration to say that the Eucharist is the greatest gift that Christ left his Church. That’s why we celebrate today’s feast day.

As Catholics, we believe that when the priest at mass says the words of consecration over ordinary bread and wine, these elements completely change into Jesus’ flesh and blood. The bread and wine are no more.

How is such a thing possible? Clearly it takes the power of God to make such a change. To make his body and blood as widely available as possible, Christ gave this special power to his priests through the sacrament of Holy Orders. Interestingly, the real miracle of the Eucharist is not that bread and wine can be transformed into flesh and blood, because we know that God can do anything… the real miracle is that following the change, the elements still look like bread and wine!

As faithful believers, there are many important and wonderful reasons for us to receive the Eucharist—communion—as often as we can. But the main reason is because it changes us, too.

When we take ordinary food and drink, these things nourish our bodies and help us be strong and healthy. But regular food doesn’t have an impact on our spiritual side, our soul.

The Eucharist, however, does. It is our food for the soul. It strengthens us to love more… to live more in the service of God and neighbor. Through the Eucharist, we are gradually transformed into saints. No matter what mission God may set forth before us, no matter what difficulties we may face or what courage we may require in life, the Eucharist will fortify us. Through the Eucharist, we will learn to love the unlovable, lift up the downcast, build up the weak, and give thanks to God always and everywhere for all his gifts. As the old saying goes, “You are what you eat.” So if you eat Christ, it’s not a surprise that you will become Christ.

Yes, indeed, the body and blood of Christ are destined to turn your world upside down. Come, seek and receive these precious gifts with joy and trembling.

God’s Perfect Unity & Trinity

Trinity Sunday
Today’s Readings: [Click here]

When I was a young boy, one of my most vivid memories was standing in the synagogue joining in singing the Shema, Judaism’s most famous prayer:

ה אלהינו יהוה אחד׃שׁמע ישראל יה
Shema yisrael, Adonai eloheynu, Adonai echad.
Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.

We know this was a prayer that Jesus sang. Clearly, it tells us that there is only one God. Judaism, and Christianity as well, are monotheistic religions.

What we just heard is the Hebrew doxology. I’m sure most of you know the Christian doxology. This is probably the most famous version:

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow /
Praise him, all creatures here below /
Praise him above, ye heavenly host /
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

This prayer gives honor to three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost). Yet, strangely, it says “Praise him”—not praise them.

So: what are we to make of all this? How do we get from one to three? Just how many gods do we believe in?

In Old Testament days, the time before Christ, you might consider that the human race was in its infancy and childhood. After Christ, our race was growing up in terms of our relationship with God. Just the way human parents don’t always explain the reasons for their rules or decisions to children too young to understand, but simply expect to be trusted and obeyed, so it was with God. God simply did not reveal much of his inner life in those days. Only when Jesus came did we start to get more of an insider’s view of God. It’s really not all that different from how we learn a lot about our parents and what shaped their experiences as we get older ourselves and have more living under our belts.

To be sure, the idea that God is both Unity and Trinity at the same time is a vast, supernatural mystery. That means we can never completely understand it with our limited human abilities. But as a famous dictum tells us: For those who believe, no explanation is necessary; for those who do not believe, no explanation is possible.

Yet during the early centuries of the Church, Christian people tried mightily to figure it all out. The Church fathers and popes wrote at length on this… as did Augustine in the 4th and 5th centuries, and Thomas Aquinas in the 13th, and many others in-between. Pardon my sarcasm, but in the compassion and love of Jesus Christ and his church, much human blood was spilled and heretics condemned and tortured in the attempt to penetrate the mystery of the Blessed Trinity.

St. Patrick is famous for his sweet analogy using a shamrock—one small clover, but three leaves that make it up—all sharing the same nature.

But what about us, living here and now? What are we to make of the Trinity?

The main thing we should bear in mind is that the Trinity is about relationships. We can have a Son only because there is a Father—and vice-versa. Let me explain. I am just one person, yet I am a son to my parents, a brother to my siblings, an uncle to my nieces and nephews. All of me is a single nature—“Jeffness,” perhaps we can say—but I’m three in a relational sense: son, brother, uncle.

With God, the divine nature is fully present in each Person. That means each of his three Persons fully has all his perfections, such as being all-good, all-powerful, all-present, all-just, all-merciful, all-loving, and so many others.

So, even though the three Persons of the Trinity are truly distinct, they are also identical—because if each is absolutely perfect in every way, how could they possibly be different? Perfection demands unity. If two things are equal but different, by definition they can’t be perfect. Perfection requires one paragon, one model of supreme excellence.

Imagine this little example. You look into a full-length mirror and see your reflection. It’s a beautiful reflection. Everything you do, the reflection does. If you raise your hand, the reflection raises its hand. If you make a funny face, so does the reflection.

But actually, the reflection is not quite perfect. It is tied to you. But pretend that the reflection could have a mind of its own and the ability to act on its own. It’s possible then that if you raise your hand, the reflection might choose not to—or it might decide to raise its leg instead. Remember, it’s independent.

With God, because of his perfection, the reflection is also going to be perfect. So if God raises his hand, it’s got to be because it’s the perfect thing to do—so the reflection can’t help but choose to do the same perfect thing. Why? Because it’s perfect.

Now put some names to all this. Looking into the mirror is God the Father, the First Person of the Trinity. His reflection in the mirror is God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, who is such a perfect reflection, that he actually took on personhood and life of his own. While the reflection may look like a normal mirror copy, in truth, he is completely independent.

When these two Persons—Father and Son—look upon each other and see each other in their consummate beauty and flawless brilliance, they are filled with love and peace and joy and confidence and every other wonderful mental, emotional and spiritual attribute that you can imagine. You’ve probably experienced a bit of that when you’ve been passionately in love and looked at your beloved. Now imagine that this fiery love between them is also so strong and so perfect in every way that it, too, takes on its own personhood. Enter God the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity. You can certainly see how if you get zapped a bit by this Spirit of power and love, you can be impelled to do all kinds of amazing things in the world.

So today, on this Feast of the Holy Trinity, these are the awesome mysteries that we celebrate. That famous philosopher named Anonymous once said, “The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” I think the love between the Persons of the Trinity that is poured out for us… and is destined to be the atmosphere in heaven where God wants us to spend all of eternity—with him… is an equally awesome gift to recognize. How can it not make us all feel safe… important… loved… appreciated… valued?

Thank you, God, for being one perfect God. Thank you, God, for being three blessed Persons to spread your love over this world that so desperately needs it.